Fisherfolk group calls for ratification of int’l labor pact

Fisherfolk group calls for ratification of int’l labor pact

By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO
Bulatlat.com
MANILA — The Philippine government should do its best to protect the rights of the country’s 300,000 fishing industry workers.

This was the statement made by the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) last week to President Benigno Aquino III as Pamalakaya chairman Fernando attended an international conference titled Empowerment Through Information: Training Program on International and Regional Developments of Relevance to Small-Scale Fisheries and Fishing Communities in Asia” Bangkok, Thailand from January 9-14, 2012.

Hicap said the Philippine government has yet to sign the Work in Fishing convention of the International Labor Organization, which aims to protect the rights of fishing industry workers all the world.

The training program was sponsored by the International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) based in Chennai, India. Hicap was invited to speak on issues dealing with protection of small-scale fisherfolk and on the conditions of Filipino fish workers aboard commercial fishing vessels in the country. The conference aimed to be avenue for knowledge-exchange between fisherfolk organizations, the fishery NGOs and social movements and how they can utilize existing international instruments to effectively fight threats to fishing rights and livelihood and assert fishery rights as human rights.

According to Hicap, the ILO’s Work in Fishing Convention can be used by organizations espousing rights of fisherfolk and fishing industry workers to oppose oppressive measures carried out by operators and owners of commercial fishing vessels.

The convention was adopted by government, worker and employer delegatesduring the ILO International Labour Conference in 2007. It came into effect after it was ratified by 10 (including eight coastal nations) of the ILO’s 180 member States..... MORE

Source:  BULATLAT.com

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